Licensing Fees & General Information

License Fees:

Full License Description and Requirements

A full medical license allows a physician to practice medicine independently in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Download an application form. When the application is complete, it will be processed as soon as possible. Applications with malpractice or legal issues will require additional processing time.

Requirements for a full license for graduates of U.S. or Canadian medical schools are listed below:

Pre-Medical Education: Completion of a minimum of two or more academic years at a legally chartered college or university, which must include courses in biology, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry and physics, or their equivalent as determined by the Board.

Medical Education: Completion of four academic years of instruction, of not less than thirty-two weeks in each academic year, in a legally chartered medical school, and receipt of the degree of doctor of medicine or its equivalents. A waiver for substantial equivalency of medical school education must be completed if any required or elective medical school clinical study was completed offsite of the medical school and without supervision by the medical school faculty.

Post-Graduate Medical Education: Completion of two (2) years of ACGME approved or accredited Canadian post-graduate medical training.

Requirements for a full license for graduates of international medical schools are listed below:

Pre-Medical Education: Completion of a minimum of two or more academic years, of not less than thirty-two weeks in each academic year, of a pre-medical education at a legally chartered college or university which must include courses in biology, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry and physics, or their equivalents as determined by the Board.

Medical Education: Completion of four (4) academic years of instruction, of not less than thirty-two weeks in each academic year, at a legally chartered medical school which education is substantially equivalent to that of graduates of U.S. medical schools, and receipt of the degree of medical doctor or its equivalent.

ECFMG Certificate: Possession of an ECFMG certificate which is valid on its face and valid as of the date of licensure.

Post-Graduate Medical Education: Completion of at least three (3) years of ACGME approved post-graduate medical training in the U.S. or at least three (3) years of accredited Canadian post-graduate medical training.

Examination requirements for license applicants who have graduated from U.S., Canadian or international medical schools are listed below:

USMLE Steps 1, 2 and 3; or

FLEX Components 1 and 2; or

NBME Parts I, II and III; or

All parts of the MCCQE; or

All parts of the examination of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners; or

A state examination given prior to June 19, 1970.

Contents of an application form for full licensure are listed below.

A color photograph of the applicant which must be a likeness adequate for positive identification.

A written statement attesting to the applicant's moral character. The statement should be executed by someone other than a relative who knows the applicant well and for a substantial period of time. The Board especially seeks statements from physicians licensed to practice in Massachusetts.

A written statement explaining the applicant's involvement in civil litigation related to the practice of medicine and any criminal litigation.

A description of the applicant's clinical training and experience, particularly hospital internship and residency.

A written statement of the other jurisdictions in which the applicant is or has been licensed to practice medicine.

A written statement of any specialty board of which the applicant is a diplomate.

A written statement of any professional disciplinary action to which the applicant has been subjected. This statement must include action taken by government agencies, professional societies, health care providers, and third-party carriers against the applicant.

A written statement of the results of any medical licensure examination the applicant has taken.

A written statement concerning the applicant's qualifications to possess or dispense controlled substances.

A written statement concerning the applicant's present physical or mental health, including an explanation of any chronic condition.

A statement that the applicant will not charge to or collect from a Medicare beneficiary more than the Medicare reasonable charge for the physician's services, in compliance with M.G.L. c. 112, § 2.

Limited License Description and Requirements

A limited license is issued to physicians enrolled in post-graduate training programs in health care facilities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. All such training must be done in ACGME accredited programs, or in a subspecialty clinical training or fellowship program in a training facility that has an approved program in the parent specialty. A physician who holds or who has ever held a full Massachusetts license is not eligible for a limited license.

To request an application for a limited license, please contact the health care facility where the post-graduate training will occur. A limited license application must be signed by the program director of the post-graduate training program prior to submission to the Board of Registration in Medicine.

When the application is complete it will be processed as soon as possible. Applications with malpractice or legal issues will require additional processing time. An applicant may not engage in direct or indirect patient care until the Board has issued a limited license. After an initial limited license is issued by the Board, the relevant post-graduate training program will receive from the Board a certificate verifying the physician's limited license number. That license number will be retained for the duration of the physician's tenure in that particular training program.

A physician with a limited license is prohibited from "moonlighting" under any circumstances.

Requirements for a limited license for graduates of U.S. or Canadian medical schools are listed below:

Pre-medical Education: Completion of two years of a pre-medical course of study in a college or university.

Medical Education: Not less than three and one-half years of study in a legally chartered medical school having the power to grant degrees in medicine.

Requirements for a limited license for graduates of international medical schools are listed below:

Pre-Medical Education: Completion of a minimum of two or more academic years, of not less than thirty-two weeks in each academic year, of a pre-medical education at a legally chartered college or university which must include courses in biology, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry and physics, or their equivalent as determined by the Board.

Medical Education: (a) completion and attendance of four academic years of instruction of not less than thirty-two weeks in each academic year at a medical school which education is substantially equivalent to that of graduates of U.S. medical schools; and (b) completion of medical school clinical training which is substantially equivalent to the minimum standards required of U.S. medical school graduates, and done under the direct control of the medical school dean and under onsite supervision and evaluation by the faculty of the medical school in which the applicant was enrolled. Limited license applicants who cannot meet (b) must submit a request for a waiver of this requirement.

A notarized copy of the medical school diploma and a notarized copy of the English translation, if applicable.

Medical school transcripts with evaluations received directly from the medical school.

An ECFMG status report form received directly from ECFMG verifying completion of USMLE Steps 1 and 2, or NBME Parts I and II, or FLEX Components 1 and 2.

Passing scores on USMLE Step 1 and Step 2, CK and CS, COMLEX or NBME Parts I and II, FLEX, or all parts of MCCQE (LMCC).

Temporary License Description

There are several temporary license categories which may be granted by the Board to a physician, pursuant to M.G.L. c. 112, § 9B (1):

Category 1: Temporary Faculty Appointment

A visiting physician holding a license in another state or territory who has a temporary faculty appointment (instructor, associate professor, assistant professor or higher) certified by the dean of a medical school in the Commonwealth for purposes of medical education in an accredited hospital associated with a medical school. A temporary faculty appointment license may be renewed for a maximum of three years. A request for renewal of temporary licensure must be submitted at least sixty days prior to the expiration date.

Category 2: Temporary License for Physician Coverage

A temporary license may be granted to a physician who is licensed to practice medicine in another state, or a physician who is eligible for a Massachusetts medical license and is a diplomate of a specialty board approved by the AMA or AOA. Such temporary license enables him/her to act as a substitute physician for a fully licensed Massachusetts physician who is sick, on vacation or maternity leave. Category 2 is limited to three months.

Category 3: Enrollment in Medical Education Course

Category 3 enables a physician with a current full medical license in another state, territory, the District of Columbia or another country to attend a course of continuing medical education in Massachusetts. Category 3 temporary licensure will terminate automatically at the completion of the CME course and, in any event, at the end of three months.

Category 4: Visiting Short-Term Faculty

A short-term temporary license may be granted to a physician who wishes to serve for not more than thirty days as visiting faculty in an accredited hospital associated with a medical school in Massachusetts.

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